The Unwanted One
by L. Elizabeth1
Summary: Ari the hated girl of her american town is accidentally sent to a place she never would have imagined. See first chap for summary
1. Toto!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters but I do own the characters not mentioned in the Naruto Anime.

A/N: This story is about a girl who is in our dimension and is somehow transported to the dimension that houses the Naruto characters. I will explain it more later I promise!

Chapter One.

Arianna Williams raised her head sleepily from the desk as the shrill sound of the dismissal bell rang. She gathered her books and stuffed them into her undersized, (in her opinion) backpack. A few people shoved past her in a manner that could only be described by and outsider as rude. To her, the shovings and name callings were only natural.

It wasn't that Ari was mean, ugly, or a whiny know- it- all , in fact she was very nice to the few people who were actually nice to her. She was also very beautiful with her long straight light brown hair, strange almost violet eyes, high cheek bones, and pale flawless skin. She was a little to thin for her age, but it was nothing that she could help because of her interesting situation.  
Ari walked out of the class room and down the hall of the crowded Douglass High school. She was a senior and looked forward to leaving her disturbing little town of Winstead. The orphanage, where she called home, was only three miles down the road and Ari ALWAYS walked home. No matter if it was raining, snowing, or a hundred degrees out, she would walk home. It was because of the kids on the bus that would terrorize her, and that's even if the bus driver would even let her on the bus. When Ari was eleven, the bus driver had simply refused to let her on. He gave the reason of the bus being too crowded when it was obvious there were several empty seats. She never let it bother her though. She knew why they were so cruel to her, and even though she never agreed with their reasoning for hating her, she accepted it.

The large white house came into her view. It was three stories with six bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, and dining room. The orphanage was run by a portly old crone named Mrs. Diane Fargly. She was a strict and unpleasant sort of woman who made it abundantly clear, she did not like children. Mrs. Fargly had taken Ari in when she was only seven. On the night her father had ruined her life forever. She stared at the large imposing house carefully, taking in all the chipped paint and cracked windows. This had been her home for almost eleven years, and in one month she would be forced to leave and find a new home when she turned eighteen.

"Arianna! Get your skinny butt in here and take care of these brats now!" Mrs. Fargly yelled from the front porch as soon as she saw her ward with her failing vision. She waved her cane furiously at Ari, and then wobbled back in the house. Ari quickened her pace and climbed the stairs to the front door. The inside of the home was pure chaos. There were twelve children, including Ari herself, who lived under Mrs. Fargly. Ari was the oldest at seventeen, followed by Cathy who was a shy girl who loved to read. She was twelve, but like all the children, she was very thin. Joseph followed next in age at ten. He was the mischievous one who was always getting in trouble in school. Sara was nine, and she had no room in her heart for cruelty. She was always pleasant and used her good manners. Carrie and Frank were the next oldest at seven. They loved sports and were constantly trying new sports to play. Thomas was the moody and sullen child of the house, even though he was only six. Marie and Marcus were the only siblings in the house and were the ones who's laughter always filled the full house. They were only three. The babies of the house were William and Serina, both of which were only a year old.

Since Mrs. Fargly was not very good with babies, or any children for that matter, it was up to Ari to make sure the kids were fed, clothed, and ready for school. Her chores were many because of this. Every morning she would get up at four thirty and start breakfast, while making the bagged lunches for the children who went to school. At five she would get everyone up and fed before ushering them into the bathrooms to brush their teeth, and their hair and get their clothes on. When they were all clothed and fed she would feed the four babies and get them clothed and play with them a little before she had to leave. At seven she would get all of the kids, (except the four babies) ready to leave. She checked that they had all of their books in their book bags, their lunches, and their shoes tied. Rain, snow, and shine she would walk all seven children the mile down the road to their school. Mrs. Fargly would pick them up in the afternoon. She got them to where they needed to be and sprinted the, now four miles, to her school. When she got home from school, she had to clean the house, feed the children, make sure they all got their homework done, and help them if they needed it, gave them all baths, and put them to bed. She would then have time to take her cold shower, finish her homework and crawl into bed around midnight only to wake up and do it all again. On the weekends she made all the children do a chore and when the whole house was clean, she would let them play. On Sundays, if it was nice out, she would take them the park down the road to play. If one of the children was sick, she would have to miss school to take care of them. Ari was in charge of all of Mrs. Fargly's finances and made sure all the bills were paid on time. She also did all of the grocery shopping, and when a child grew out of their clothes, she would take them clothes shopping. She was like a mother, father, and maid to all of the children, and they adored her.

"Ari! Guess what I did in school today!" Joey came bounding down the stairs and threw his arms around her.

"Uh oh, do I want to know?" she teased.

"I got yelled at because I told the teacher that her math was wrong. But I argued with her about it because I knew I was right and she sent me to the principle who looked at the math and told me that I was right! He made me do more math problems and I got them all right too! Do you know what he did?!" The boy's shining blue eyes were filled with excitement.

"No, what did he do?" Ari asked, sounding very curious.

"He said he is going to let me skip right to the seventh grade!" he jumped up and down laughing. This made Ari laugh as well and soon all the children were cheering and the babies were crying because of all the noise.

"Wow Joey! Congratulations! We will have to celebrate by having your favorite meal!" Ari went to the babies' room and picked up the two smaller children bouncing them around to get them to stop crying.

"Pizza?!" he asked looking at Ari like he would just die if she said no to his meal of choice. The other kids were in the doorway looking at her with the same expression.

"Well, I don't know." She sighed almost breaking into a grin but hiding it. "It isn't very nutritious." All eyes were on her, waiting and hoping for a yes answer.

"But… I guess it will be ok!" She laughed as she was bombarded with seven kids hugging and thanking her. The babies cried louder and she ushered all of the big kids out. She took the two babies and placed them in their play pens. She then took the two toddlers and put them on the rug next to the play pen. Will and Serina started playing with their teddy bears, while Maria and Marcus chose the blocks and dolls to play with. She smiled as she played with the babies, she knew if she stayed in this town, she might never have any children of her own. She knew she would miss them all very much and was training Cathy to be her replacement when she was old enough. Cathy always cared about all of the children and was very capable to take care of them.

"Miss Ari, can I come in?" a small voice sounded from the other side of the door. She called a quick 'come in' and the door opened to reveal a small black haired, green eyed boy of six.

"Tommy! How was your day?" she beamed at him. She knew that he was abused by his step father and his mother had given him up only a year before. It made her sick to think that a woman would choose such an evil man over a beautiful little child.

"Do you have to go?" his pained voice almost brought tears to her eyes. She knew he had come to think of her as a second mother, and he knew she was going to leave him.

"Come sit down." She motioned for him to sit beside her. "I know you all don't want me to go, but I've been here so long, I am starting to forget there is a world outside. I love all of you and I will come back and visit, but yes I do have to go."

"Can I come with you? Please I will be a good boy and eat all my vegetables." Tears started to form around the corners of his eyes.

"You know I can't Tommy. The state wont allow me to even if I had a place of my own and a good job. But remember, no matter where I go I will always be there for you! Just look to the stars and say anything you want and I will listen." His eyes widened slightly.

"You can talk through the stars?"

"Of course, you can do anything if you believe." She patted his head and then ruffled his hair. "Now what do you say to pizza?" He smiled and nodded vigorously.

Outside of Cloud:

The Akatsuki jumped from tree to tree effortlessly. Itachi in the lead followed closely by Deidara, Kisame, and Sasori. Itachi's sharingan blazed in the dark night. He stopped and held up his had to signal the others to stop as well. Something felt off, he could sense something up in the distance. It wasn't chakra, no it was much to raw and un-organized to be chakra, but whatever it was it was powerful. Sasori came up next to Itachi and nodded that he had felt it to. Itachi leapt forward to investigate the phenomenon, the others closely followed behind. As they got closer, the power they felt seemed to almost push them back. They stopped again and Itachi motioned for the others to stay put. He bounded forward and found the source. There in a small clearing was a grey ball of pure energy floating just two feet from the ground. Itachi had never seen anything like this before and took a cautious step forward. It reacted and seemed to push him back. It started to expand and float higher from the ground. There was a blinding light and a loud bang, which made Itachi shield his sensitive eyes. When he looked back, the ball was gone. In its place was a human form. He walked slowly up to it, kunai in his hand. He knelt down and rolled the person on its back. It was a young woman. She had long brown hair and fair skin. She moaned gently and Itachi lifted her easily into his arms. She remained unconscious the whole trip to the Akatsuki base. The others were curious of the small girl in the Uchiha's arms, but saved their questions until they got to their hideout.

"Where did she come from, yeah?" Deidara was the first to start the questions, as always.

"She's hot, where did you get her from Uchiha?" Kisame asked as he sat down at the table with his beloved bottle of sake.

Sasori was silent as he watched Itachi set the girl down on the sofa in the sitting area. He was not overly gentle, but he was acting very strange with the young woman.

"The energy I found was unlike anything I have ever seen. It exploded and this girl was lying where the energy once was. I found it odd and figured that the Leader would want to see her for himself. No one is to go near her, am I clear?" Itachi stared down Kisame and Deidara who both gulped under his gaze.

"Sure, yeah." "What ever you say."

Itachi didn't bother to look at Sasori, he knew that Sasori would do as he asked with no question. Itachi looked to the girl who looked so small on the plush black sofa, and thought how out of place she looked. She was the first girl to ever have been inside an Akatsuki hideout. She stirred slightly and opened her eyes. Itachi knelt down to examine the girl who, in turn gave an ear-splitting yell.

"Where the HELL am I? Who are you? Did you kidnap me?" she sat up quickly and instantly regretted it as she felt a wave of dizziness. She started to panic, she knew that no one would care if she was kidnapped, and even thought that maybe the town had paid someone to take her out. Well she wasn't going to go with out a fight. She fought the dizziness and stood, holding her shaking hands up as fists.

"You want a piece of me? I'll… I'll kick your butt!" she said in a voice that even she didn't believe. The blonde in the corner stifled a laugh, while the strange bluish man just burst out laughing. The one standing in the corner just looked at her expressionless. But the one who really got her attention was the tall black haired man standing in front of her. He had strange red eyes, unlike anything she had ever seen before.

"Well? Are you going to kill me or are we going to stand here all night?!" she yelled exhausted from trying to stand. She sat down and the others around her looked at her strangely.

"Do you want us to kill you?" The black haired man asked stoically. She looked at him with a look of disbelief on her face.

"Well of course I don't want you to kill me. But that is why I am here right? Winstead all got together and decided to off the eye sore now that she wasn't a child anymore. I get it, I just thought they would kick me out, not…" she looked down. Her voice had a deep bitterness that made the blonde shift uncomfortably.

"What are you talking about? What is a Winstead?" The bluish man belted, taking another sip of his alcohol.

"Winstead, the town?" she looked to the men and saw they had no idea what she was talking about. "Where am I"?

"Outside of Cloud." The quiet man spoke for the first time. He had a very patient voice, but it was a voice that almost chilled her blood.

"Okay… where is Cloud? I've never heard of it before?" the men looked to the girl like she was an alien.

"I found you on the ground in the forest. You were expelled from a mass of energy." The black haired one said.

"Wait, what?" she looked around and noticed that their clothing was stange. They were wearing dark robes with red clouds on them. The room was strange as well, it was like something out of "Memoirs of a Geisha". The décor was Japanese, and she had a sinking feeling she wasn't anywhere near home.

"Oh Todo, I don't think were in Kansas anymore." She said with a nervous giggle.

"Who is this Toto?" the Bluish man asked, they were all looking at her strangely.

"Oh, well Toto is a dog." She said offhandedly to the confused men around her as she thought about how she actually got where ever it was she was.

"Ok so I was getting ready for bed, I took a shower and wend to check on the babies." She started to recount her night's activities. "I put the kids to bed, checked on the Fargly and went to my room." She looked up to the ceiling with her head cocked to the side in deep thought. Then she remembered something.

"The star!" she shouted and jumped up. Dizziness came over her and she sat back down with her hand on her head. "I heard something outside and decided to check it out. I looked up and saw a shooting star! Then I heard a crackling sound and went toward the tree line to check it out. There was a big bright light and a bang, and I woke up here." She was pleased with herself for remembering what had happened, but now she needed to figure out why and where?

While she was recounting her story, the men listened carefully. She had children and a Fargly, whatever that was, and seemed to be transported from a place they had never heard of by a dog named Toto from a place called Kansas.

"You look very young to be a wife." The blonde commented. The girl looked at him strangely.

"I'm not married? I didn't say anything about a husband did I?" she looked confused.

"You said you checked on your children. Is it common for women to bare children without being married?" The quiet one asked. She blushed and started shaking her head.

"Oh no! They aren't MY children, I just take care of them. We are all orphans, and the old lady who runs the orphanage doesn't like kids, so I am LIKE a mother, but I don't have any children of my own." He nodded and looked to the black haired one who had not spoken very much since she awoke. He had an air about him that persuaded her to think that he didn't talk much to anybody.

"Well then, I am Arianna Williams, but just call me Ari, and you all are?" she looked around the room to the men.

"I'm Deidara, yeah." The blonde spoke first, offering a small smile.

"Kisame" the bluish man slurred.

"I am Sasori." The quiet one nodded.

"Itachi." The black haired one stated.

"Well then, I guess I should thank you for finding me, considering I didn't know I would fall through a worm hole and end up on the other side of the world. Tell me how I can get to Tokyo." She looked to Deidara who looked confused.

"Where is that, yeah?" she was stunned. Not only did she fall through space, but a DIMENSION as well?

"Oh dear. Traveling across the world is one thing, but I don't know how to get home if I fell through another dimension. This is bad." She felt a headache come on and put her head in her hands which were resting on her knees. This wasn't good at all.

A/N: Ooook so there is the first chapter, oh and lets just assume everyone in the whole universe spoke English, just for the sake of this story. I didn't know how to put an American in Japan without the language barer. I love languages and am studying to be a linguist so I am not being an ass and saying everyone should speak the same language because I love all of them! But in my story, everyone does speak English! Oook so there we go.


	2. meeting

The Unwanted One

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters but I do own the characters not mentioned in the Naruto Anime.

Chapter 2

"_Oh dear. Traveling across the world is one thing, but I don't know how to get home if I fell through another dimension. This is bad." She felt a headache come on and put her head in her hands which were resting on her knees. This wasn't good at all._

The Akatsuki, as Ari found out, were a group of ruthless killers who have no problem with maiming and murder. "Well I guess I was right about them being murderers." She mumbled to herself as she was escorted to her new "room" by the quiet Sasori. By room she meant a small, dark, cold cell in the (what seemed like) the basement of the building. They were still unsure of the strange girl and wanted to make sure she wasn't hell bent on maiming and murdering _them_. Itachi thought that the "special treatment" was ridiculous, but some of the other members in the large house weren't as confident. She was being sent to meet the "leader" in the morning, and he would decided what to do with her.

"There is no point in chaining you. I don't find you much of a threat." Sasori said motioning to the cell. She walked in and took in her new surroundings.

"Ah the famous last words of emperors who underestimated their enemy." She said with bitting sarcasm. Sasori grabbed her arm and forced her against the wall.

"Should I consider you my enemy? I have to qualms to locking you in chains." He stared into her eyes intensely. She swallowed hard and looked away from his hard gaze.

"I didn't mean it. I just get sarcastic when I'm scared." He released her and she whispered, "please don't lock me up." He took a step back and nodded to her.

"Deidara will be the one who will come to get you in the morning. He will bring you appropriate clothing." He motioned to her flannel pj bottoms and red tank top. She nodded and sat down on a small thin mattress. The bang of the cell door left Ari with the most loneliest feeling in the world. The darkness surrounded her like a thousand ghosts. She laid down and curled up in a ball, trying to get warm. They didn't give her a blanket or any warm clothes and it was so cold. She started to cry as she remembered the children. They would wake up without her, and they would be scared and not know what had happened to her. Mrs. Fargly would probably call the police, but she knew they would only be happy with the Williams girl's disappearance. She fell into a fitful sleep, plagued with nightmares. She woke several times with the feeling of someone watching her, but she always dismissed it as her nerves. Her muscles started to ache from shivering so hard and she gave up trying to sleep at what she guessed was three in the morning. She stood and walked the perimeter of the cell. There were no windows and no toilet, only the mattress and the heavy iron door. She sat down again and started humming songs, any songs that would come into her brain. She moved her hands to the floor and started tapping on the floor like it contained the piano keys she saw in her brain. It had been a long time since she had played, but her fingers remembered how to find the notes. She could almost hear the music she was playing. Little did she know that she WAS being watched by a set of dark red eyes.

Itachi watched the young woman fidget and move about in her sleep. He knew she was probably cold and scared. "Weak girl" he thought to himself. He saw her get up and walk around the cell, and then sit back down and start tapping the ground. Her humming went along with the motion of her hands. Tomorrow she would probably be sent to her death. It didn't bother him. He told himself, "She is weak, she doesn't deserve to live." He turned and walked away from the cell.

Deidara came a few hours later with an armful of clothes. A kimono and obi, both of which she had no idea how to put on, let alone wear. When she got the clothes on her in a way that she thought was right she stepped out of the cell to an awaiting Akatsuki. Deidara looked at the young woman and than started to laugh. She had the obi tied in a crude knot and the kimono was very crooked.

"What?! I've never worn anything like this!" she looked at him and then at her clothes.

"Here, turn around yeah." Deidara straightened out her kimono and tied her obi correctly.

"Thank you." She said blushing. "How did you know how to do that?"

"I had three sisters growing up yeah. They always had me helping them tie their obi's yeah." He shrugged but didn't elaborate. "You ready to go yeah?"

"Am I ready to be sent to my death in a strange dimension? Sure why not." She sighed and held her head high. She would be brave, no matter what. Her hands were shaking and her knees felt like they would give out, but she was determined not to seem afraid.

They came to a large door at the top floor of the building. Deidara knocked three times and then pushed it open. He took her gently by the arm and led her in.

The room was a large oval, and standing against the walls were all the Akatsuki in their black robes with red clouds. The only furnishing in the room was a large wooden throne like chair against the wall opposite of the door. She could see that there was someone sitting in the chair but could not get a good look at them.

"Come forward girl!" the shadowy figure in the chair beckoned. With unsure steps, she made her way across the room. She passed the somber Akatsuki that had found her. Sasori looked into her eyes as she passed, but there was no encouragement in his eyes, but neither was there malice. Kisame, for once, was not drunk and kept his eyes trained on the shadowy figure, that Ari could only assume was the Leader. Itachi looked at her as she passed him last. It was her that had to back away from his intense stare. It was as if he was looking into her soul and found the little girl inside of her huddled in a little ball crying in fear. She knew that she could not show that side of her to the Leader and straightened her back as she walked more confidently toward the Leader.

"Your name girl?" he asked

"Arianna Williams." She replied with no tremor in her voice.

"Strange name. I am told that you are not from our world. Is this so?"

"Well sir, I am from this world, well I am a human I mean… but I am from a different place, and time, and well…" she was at a loss for words to describe where she was from.

"What is the name of your village?" the Leader asked, impatiently.

"Winstead Sir." She replied.

"I have not heard of this village, which means you are alien to this place, am I correct?"

"Yes sir. I am not from this dimension." She was so tense she could feel her muscles begin to ache.

"Are you a Shinobi of your village?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what a Shinobi is sir." She shifted her weight onto her left foot and then back to her right.

"A ninja, defender of your people. You do have Shinobi in your village do you not?" he was getting angry with her ignorance.

"No sir, I am not a defender of my village. We have people like that though, we call them police. My village would never let me defend it." She looked down slightly.

"Do they believe women weaker then men and not train them?"

"No sir, there are many woman police officers. I am just not wanted to protect my village. My father…" she began but could not finish.

"Was he a 'police'"

"No sir, he was musician." She said trying to gather her confidence back.

"Why did your village not want you to be police?" curiosity got the better of the Leader and he was now intrigued to the young girl's story.

"My father disgraced my family and left me an orphan." She said simply, but the Leader knew there was more to the story.

"You have no particular strengths?"

"I can cook and clean sir, I can play the piano and sing, I have always been good with children… is that what you mean sir?"

"can you fight, girl?" he looked down at the horrified young woman.

"Fight? No I have never been taught to fight. I don't think I would be very good at it either."

"Well then, you are no use to me." He said simply, and her stomach dropped.

"Pardon, sir?" she said barely above a whisper.

"Maeko, kill her." He waved his hand lazily at a tall dark man behind him. Maeko came forward with a large sword in his hand. He lifted it up but she never felt it come down. Her eyes closed and she felt this intense heat run through her body. When she opened her eyes, Maeko had the sword lodged in his head and was lying on the ground. Everyone around her was looking at her in awe. Even Itachi wore a confused expression.

"Well, well, well. Guess you do have some talent." The Leader chuckled darkly. Ari screamed at the sight of the dead man in front of her and stumbled back into Itachi's arms.

"How, how did that happen?" she cried franticly. She had killed a man, she felt like her stomach was made of lead and her legs slowly gave out. Itachi picked her up and held her effortlessly in his arms. She was in shock and was crying but she didn't care who saw her weakness. She had ended another human being's life and didn't even know how she did it!

"Take her to a room, a proper one. We shall see how this little bird can fly." The Leader chuckled. Itachi moved through the room like he was royalty and took the now unconscious girl to a small room in between his and Deidara's. He would have to keep a closer eye on her, he underestimated her and was proven wrong. If Itachi hated one thing besides weakness, it was being wrong. He laid her down gently and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. Tonight, she would be warm.

A/N: here is the second chapter! Wow these things are hard to write! I give all of you who have a finished story some serious credit! Please read and review!!! Thank you!


	3. training

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters but I do own the characters not mentioned in the Naruto Anime.

The Unwanted One

Chapter 3

_"Take her to a room, a proper one. We shall see how this little bird can fly." The Leader chuckled. Itachi moved through the room like he was royalty and took the now unconscious girl to a small room in between his and Deidara's. He would have to keep a closer eye on her, he underestimated her and was proven wrong. If Itachi hated one thing besides weakness, it was being wrong. He laid her down gently and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. Tonight, she would be warm. _

When Ari woke, she found she was not in the cell she had been in the night before, but a small bedroom with a proper bed and blankets that kept her very warm. The room was painted a dull yellow with a dark yellow carpet. There was a desk and chair in the corner next to a small window across from the door. She sat up in bed and took in her new surroundings, and she thought back to her home. The yellow paint had reminded her of the old yellow wall paper in the dining room, where she had served many meals to the younger children. She missed them dearly, and wondered if they had given up all hope for ever seeing her alive again.

"Oh my god." She gasped remembering the meeting she had with the Leader, and the man who she killed. She could not remember how she had done it, but it was just like the last time. Her mind drifted to another time and place, where she was happy and young and in love with music. Tears drifted down her face onto the yellow carpet. She had done the same thing the night her parents had been killed.

There came a knock at her door and she got up and opened the door slowly. There in front of her was Deidara, the blonde Akatsuki who had helped her with her clothing yesterday.

"Hey, do you want to go get something you eat? You must be starving, yeah." He smiled and held out his hand. Seeing that she was indeed very hungry, and was essentially a prisoner, she smiled and took his hand in her own.

"Okay." She whispered. They walked down three corridors before they got to a large room with several long wooden tables placed low to the ground with cushions spaced evenly on the floor. Deidara led her to a table in the far back where the other members she had already met were eating. They all stopped eating when she approached, and stared at her. Itachi was the first to look away and start eating, the rest followed his example and dug into their breakfast. Deidara took a seat next to Sasori and motioned for Ari to sit next to him. Kisame was directly across from her and Itachi was next to him. She looked down at a bowl of food she could not identify. Throwing caution to the wind she decided she would rather eat what ever it was in the bowl than starve. She looked around for a fork, but was rewarded with a pair of wooden chopsticks.

"oh great" she said to herself. She picked them up and tried to imitate Deidara's handling of the instruments. They fell into her bowl when she tried to pick up something with them. Groaning in frustration she tried again. The others were now watching her interestedly, and she began to get redder and redder.

"Do you need help?" Kisame chuckled lightly. Ari picked up her head and gave a sheepish smile.

"I cant say I have ever used these before." She blushed.

"Do your people eat with their hands?" Sasori asked disgustedly.

"No! we have forks and knives and spoons." She was met with blank stares. "They are just different kinds of eating utensils." She picked up the chopsticks and tried again. This time she got the food halfway to her mouth before they fell from her grasp. All the men started chuckling at this point. Even Itachi cracked a smirk. Giving up on all lady-like behavior, she put the bowl to her lips and used one chopstick to shovel the food into her mouth. She was too hungry to care and the food was actually very good.

Once she was done making a fool of herself she set the bowl down and looked around the room. There were other members just staring at her. She found this very disconcerting and looked back to her empty bowl.

"The Leader says you are to start training. Because you are so old, the training will be every day for many hours. You need to learn to control your strength." Itachi stated in his deep bored voice.

"Training? What exactly am I training for?" Ari's eyes met Itachi's for a brief second before she looked away. Those eyes scared her to the core.

"You killed a member of Akatsuki, you must now join or be killed." Itachi answered her calmly. "You have no where to go, no way to get back to where you came from. You could die or live. Its your choice."

Ari thought about this deeply, he was right. She didn't know anyone here except these people. She didn't want to die, but didn't fancy spending her whole life killing people. Deciding that it was probably best for now to remain with the Akatsuki, she nodded her head.

"Good. You will train every morning at two until six with Sasori. You may eat at seven, but you begin you training with Deidara at eight until noon. You may eat lunch at one, and train with Kisame from two to six. Dinner at seven and then you will train with me from eight until whenever I decide you may leave." Itachi handed her a piece of paper with names, times and rooms in which she would have to be every day. She was horrified with the amount of work she would have to be put though.

"What _exactly_ will I be learning?" she asked quietly.

"Anything we feel you need to learn." Sasori answered calmly.

"Chakra control, balance, strength training, different kinds of jutsu, and whatever else we think you can benefit from, yeah." Deidara finished, with a bit more clarity than Sasori. Although she had no idea what chakra, or jutsu was, she could guess that her training would be like that of a navy seal.

"Okay, when do I begin?" she looked at Itachi.

"At two am. Sasori will come and get you." Itachi stood from his seat on the ground and walked quietly out of the room.

"Well, he isn't much of a conversationalist, is he?" Ari asked no one in particular, and no one answered.

"You will need new clothes." Sasori stated suddenly. "Deidara, will you take her to Cloud and get necessary items she may need?"

"Sure, I need to get a new pair of sandals anyway." He smiled at her and stood. She followed and they left the room with all eyes on her back.

"What do you think?" Kisame took a sip of his sake. "Is she the one?"

"I have no idea, but if she is, we will need to keep a close eye on her. I thought she was weak, but I underestimated her, and she called me on it." Sasori stood from the table and walked away from the table. He knew she was the one, the prophesy was true.

"So where do we go first?" Ari was glad to be out of the Akatsuki camp and into a real town. A very strange town that seemed to be a mix of china town in New York and the middle ages, but a town none the less.

"Shoes, yeah." Deidara guided her to a small shop and they entered. There were many different kinds of shoes to choose from. Ladies shoes (which looked like a very old, very warped version of stilettos) big work boots, sandals of every shape, size, and color, and even shoes that look like torture devices for feet. Deidara chose brown sandals, much like the ones he was wearing. She moved through the selection and found a pair of small lace boots with a small heel. They looked like a mix between biker boots and hiking boots. She tried them on and found, not only did they fit, but they were comfortable! Deidara looked at her strangely for her choice but didn't say anything against it.

Next was pants shirts and undergarments. Deidara insisted on her trying everything on and making sure that it fit and that she was able to move freely. When it came to the underwear she flat out refused to show him. With a sigh and a shrug he resigned his efforts of trying to see the young woman in only underwear.

When they got back, after four hours of shopping, she went to her room to unpack her new things. She couldn't believe she had spent such a long time shopping! She had never spent so much time on herself before, and she thought it was kind of nice.

"Ugh noon, guess I should try and find something to eat." Her stomach grumbled in response. She started walking and slowly realized, she had no idea where the hell she was going. Trying not to panic, she asked a passing Akatsuki for directions. He looked at her in disgust and walked away. 'Oh dear' she said to herself.

"Lost?" She jumped when she heard a large booming voice behind her. Kisame laughed at her startled reaction and started walking away.

"Well, do you want to eat or not?" he asked and she got the hint. Ari paid attention to where they were going this time and was pretty confident that she would be able to find it on her own again.

At one thirty, she was awoken by an alarm clock placed in her room, presumably while she was shopping. She got out of bed and went into the small bathroom next to her bed. Taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth, she started to wake herself up and start mentally preparing herself for the day. She was dressed and ready by two, when Sasori came to get her. They went outside in a large courtyard, where there were no trees and very little grass.

"Sit." Sasori ordered calmly. She obeyed and sat Indian style on the ground.

"Today you will learn to summon Chakra. Close your eyes." She did and felt him sit down behind her. "Imagine all of your energy, your emotion, your life into a ball." Not wanting to disappoint her new teacher, she tried to do what he asked.

"Try and relax." He said and he grabbed her arms with his powerful hands. She tensed automatically, but then forced her muscles to go limp under his fingers.

"Good. Now I am going to try and bring your chakra to the surface. Keep focused on the ball." She thought deeply about the ball of her life force and slowly felt a strange tingling sensation in her skin. It started rising out of her skin and seemed to be all around her. She focused on the tug of her energy coming out of her body, and then it was sent back into her. She opened her eyes and turned to see Sasori. He smiled gently and asked, "Do you think you can recreate that feeling again on your own?"

"I can try." She closed her eyes and focused on the ball of energy deep within her. Slowly she felt the tingling sensation again and the energy creeping up towards the surface. When she was sure she had recreated the exact sensation Sasori had helped her achieved before, she brought it back down into her again. When she opened her eyes, she found that she was drenched in sweat and the sun was rising. She knotted her brow in confusion and looked at Sasori.

"How long have I been doing that?" she started to stand, but found her legs much weaker than they should have been.

"Four hours." He said calmly. You did not notice the time because you were deep in meditation. That was good for today, you may go and eat." She stiffly walked to her room and took a quick shower before she went to the mess hall for breakfast.

"Block, left cross, right cross, block." Deidara said over and over until Ari got used to the rhythm. He was teaching her hand to hand combat. Today was, as he said, simple. It was far from simple for someone who had never learned any kind of self defense.

"Good. Now you got the hang of it, go faster yeah." Deidara smiled at her horrified face.

Ari sighed and picked up her pace. By lunch she was getting faster at striking and blocking, but the bruises on her body were far too many than she would have liked.

Again she went to her room, now stiff and aching and showered quickly before going to eat.

"Your aim is pitiful. You throw like a girl. The target is over THERE!" Kisame roared at the flustered and now angry girl.

"I know my aim sucks, I AM a girl, and I can see the target just fine now get off my BACK!" she hollered back and threw two kunai which hit the target in the middle. She gasped and then a gleeful smile spread across her face.

"I DID IT!" she jumped up and down in happiness.

"About time. Now do it four hundred more times." Kisame drawled moving to sit under a tree. Ari's good mood was short lived and she went to retrieve the two kunai.

Now dinner time, Ari trudged to her room, now stiff, bruised, and very sore. She showered AGAIN and went off to dinner.

"Why do you shower so much? You are only going to get dirty." Kisame saw her wet hair and took another sip of his sake.

"I like being clean. If it bothers you I suppose I could go roll in the mud a bit." Ari regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth and she raised her hand to her mouth in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I'm usually never this sarcastic. I guess I am just tired." She blushed and looked at Kisame, who didn't look like he cared if she called his mother a whore.

"Whatever. Just means your getting a backbone." He went back to his drink and she quickly finished her meal.

"Um, Itachi? What are we going to do today?" she asked timidly. She was tired and needed to know if she should prepare herself for another beating. Itachi looked up and smirked slightly. Immediately Sasori and Deidara exchanged worried looks. Even Kisame looked troubled.

"Good luck girl." Sasori said as he left the table

"It was nice knowing you, yeah." Deidara left as well

"Sucks for you." Kisame snorted and left, leaving Ari with a really bad feeling.

"Come." Itachi said firmly, and she obeyed. They walked down the corridor towards her room. Confused she followed closely behind him. He stopped at a room, next to her own, on the left. He unlocked it and walked in. she stopped in the doorway looking around the room. It was dark, very dark. The walls were grey and the carpet and bed coverings were black . His bathroom door was closed and he had a small mahogany desk in the corner.

"Come in and close the door." He went to the window and opened it halfway. She stepped into his room and closed the door.

"Lay on the bed and relax." He took off his cloak and put it on the desk.

"Why?" she was nervous about being in his room… alone… and he was telling her to lie on his bed.

"You will put under mind control by at least one enemy in your life, maybe more. Most likely by my brother or his teacher. I am going to teach you to block it, but it will hurt and it would be easier for you if you were relaxed top begin with." Ari nodded and sat down on the bed. She eased off her shoes and laid her feet on the bed. Now completely flat on his, very masculine smelling, bed she forced herself to relax for the second time that day. She felt him move around the bed to the side she was laying on.

"Open your eyes." He demanded and she did as he asked. Her violet eyes met his sharingan and she felt herself falling down very fast.

_"Mommy! Were going to be LATE!! Little Ane yelled to her mother who was walking down the stair case with all the beauty and grace of the ballet dancer she used to be. _

_"Arianna, ladies do not shout." She smiled lovingly at her precious daughter. Come now and gather your music and we will be off." Ane smiled and ran off to fetch her music. _

Ari gasped and sat up crying. She had not seen her mother in ten years. Itachi looked at her blankly and pushed her back down on the bed.

"You need to try and block these thoughts. Force me out of your head girl." Itachi admonished her.

But she couldn't. Everytime he dug into her head, she would see her parents faces and refuse to push them out of her head. Itachi grew tired with her and forced pictures into her head she had never wanted to see again.

"Mommy! Daddy! Please no!" she pushed hard with her thoughts. All the good images of her parents pushed the bad ones out and she was able to force Itachi out.

"Better." Was all he said. Ari got up and left quickly gathering her shoes on her way.

She took her fourth shower of the day, crying the whole time.


	4. Her Pain

Disclaimer: don't steal, and Naruto and its characters aren't mine. THANX!

Chapter 4

For two months, Ari trained hard, and had improved tremendously. She was covered in small scars and dark bruises that never seemed to go away, but she was happy for the first time in her life. She had a purpose, a job, a goal. Deidara had become a close friend and even though Kisami and Sasori were never, what Ari would call, "Friendly", they were nice to her. Itachi, on the other hand, always seemed to have something better to do than be anywhere near her, unless they were training of course. Their training sessions were always the same.

Ari would walk hesitantly to Itachi's door, knock timidly, and be let in to the dark, scary, cave that Itachi called a room. She would try and fight him out of her head, but always end up caught in a dark memory and get lost in her own mind. He would release her, and tell her how she needs to take their training more seriously. She would flee the room, drained physically and emotionally and cry herself to sleep off of the memories he had shown her. The last few days though, Itachi had been gone on mission after mission, she had been let off of the torture.

Her teachers had also decided to give her Sundays off of training so she could wash her clothes, clean her new weapons, and go into town. Even though she was not yet a true member, she was given small missions every Sunday. Since she was a young, innocent looking girl, nobody would mistake her for Akatsuki, and she was sent to spy on the leaders of Cloud, to make sure they weren't giving away the Akatsuki to any neighboring menace that sought to fight them. This was a relatively easy job, and she could do all the shopping she wanted at the same time. Soon, she got so good and being stealthy, she was never seen by the people she was tracking. Sasori had taught her to hide her chakra so no one would know she was around. She impressed her teacher by hiding her chakra completely on the first try.

Deidara taught her to jump from tree to tree without making a sound. She thought she looked ridiculous, but it made creeping around up high very possible.

"Okay, all ready I think." Ari packed her bag and headed out of her room. Today she was Sunday, and she had no mission but to have fun in the town. She walked out of the huge building and headed up into the trees toward Cloud.

The sweet smell of Jije's bakery called to her empty stomach like a homing beacon. 'I think a Danish will do today' she thought to herself. The town was in view and she jumped to the ground, adjusted herself and walked through the village gates.

"Impossible." Ari whispered. She had been shopping around for about an hour before she saw it. The thing that tore her life apart, and saved it again. Her comfort, her pain, her love, her destruction. A piano. Sitting innocently in a small store. She walked up to it and ran her fingers over the keys.

"Came in yesterday. Its from the mainland, never actually seen one before this." The shop keeper said with a small smile.

"May I?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

"Of course." He said kindly, doubting that she could actually play the strange instrument.

Ari sat on the wooden bench and pressed her hands to the keys gently. Soon notes and songs were resonating from the small store, drawing attention from the curious villagers. For almost an hour, the music consumed her. The town was watching her rapture with undying concentration. Even the small children, who were usually running around causing mischief, were standing quietly, trying to get a better look at the young woman making such interestingly beautiful sounds.

Ari ended her ministrations on the instrument, to find the whole town looking at her. The shop keeper was in awe and all the attention making Ari very nervous. She fled the town quickly, leaving a baffled town behind. There was one man, however, who just smiled.

"Orochimaru will be pleased." He sprinted out of Cloud towards Sound.

Okay I know, very short chapter, the next one will be longer. I just didn't want to rush the inevitable meeting. Muh wa ha ha.

Some seriously heavy stuff will be coming up soon. This isn't a M rated story for nothing!


	5. The Red

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did, I wouldn't be as broke as I am now!

Chapter 5

* * *

"So, she is Akatsuki? Strange for them to admit a young woman, expecially if she is as weak as you say." Orochimaru sat on a dark chair made of mahogany and velvet. It was regal looking and drew attention to the person sitting in it. This person though, could command attention, with or with out a chair. The young Sound ninja had described the strange girl playing the beautiful music. Orochimaru had been pleased, as the man thought.

"The girl's chakra was not as large as any of the other Akatsuki. In fact, I could probably take her down." Orochimaru smiled at the man's arrogance.

"Well then, if you are so confident, bring her to me." He turned his head to the left. His still limp arms hung uselessly at his sides. "Kabuto!"

"Yes my lord?" his faithful servant appeared at his side.

"Bring me the instrument. We are going to have a new guest." He laughed a cruel, cold laugh. He knew exactly what he wanted to do with her.

* * *

"Left, right, high, jab, uppercut." Deidara called out at his pupil who was beating one of Sasori's old puppets senseless. "Okay, I think that's good for today yeah."

Ari brushed the sweat from her brow and bowed to her teacher. She had been learning all the strange do's and don'ts about this world. Bowing was good, using sama after Itachi was even better.

"Vain arrogant asshole." Air muttered to herself as she walked to her room. Itachi was home from his missions, which meant more fun mind melt torture sessions. She sighed and prepared herself for Kisame's cross bow lesson. She closed her door and turned to run into a cold, creepy, Itachi.

"Oh I'm sorry Itachi-sama. Didn't mean to run into you. Is there anything you need?" she avoided his eyes out of habit and he picked up on that.

"The Leader would like to see you." He said simply. Out of nowhere he grabbed her chin and forced her face upwards. Startled she flew back into her door, Itachi pressed against her. There was only an inch that separated their lips. She looked into his eyes questioningly.

"Always look into your apponent's eyes. Looking down or away is a sign of weakness." He released her and continued his walk down the hallway. Ari was baffled. She had honestly though he was going to kiss her.

_Stop being a silly little pansy girl!_ she scolded herself. But she couldn't deny the weak feeling in her knees when he was close to her. She got her act together, wiped the blush from her face and headed towards The Leader's office.

* * *

She knocked gently at the door.

"Come in Arianna." The Leader's deep voice sounded. She opened the door and let herself in, closing the door behind her.

"You wished to see me Leader-sama?" she bowed deeply and waited for his response.

"Yes, there have been reports of Sound ninja in Cloud. Where there is Sound, there is Orochimaru. I want you to go to town for a few days and see if there are any Sound, who they are, and why they are there. This will be your first real mission, are you up to it?"

"If you think I am ready, I accept." She was jumping for joy inside. _The Leader thought she was ready for a real mission! When did life become so strange?_

"Good. Because you are still a novice, you will be accompanied by another Akatsuki."

"Yes sir." _Please let it be Deidara, or Sasori! Kisame wouldn't even be that bad either!_

"Itachi will be your guide. You will be staying at the hotel in town, everything is arranged already. Do not disappoint me." And she was dismissed.

_Great, of all the cold hearted killers to get stuck with, I get stuck with the one who can read my mind and make me weak in the knees. Wonderful._

* * *

"Hi! Do you have a reservation?" the young chipper front desk lady was pissing Ari off.

"Uh…" Ari started, looking at Itachi.

"Its under Yokiamru." He said simply, even offering a small smile, which looked like he was bearing his teeth at the evilly happy lady.

"Oh yes, Mr. and Mrs. Yokiamru!" Ari choked slightly and looked at Itachi in a panic. He seemed to be startled by this revelation that they were "married" which made Ari even more nervous. "Honeymoon I bet!" she winked her evil eyes and produced a small key from the drawer. "This is a 'special' room for young lovers like yourselves!" she moved around the desk, oblivious to the stares of utter terror she was receiving from her guests. She led them to a door at the end of a rather long hallway and told them to holler if "you kids" needed anything. Ari took a deep breath before opening the door.

The room was RED. The carpet was a dark blood red, the walls were a very pale light red, the bed spread and SATIN sheets were the same matching color of dark red and even the curtains were a dark red.

"This room is evil. What is this, the Amityville hotel?" Ari dropped her pack and looked around the red room of death.

"The Leader was displeased with my last mission. His punishments are always something to fear." Itachi broke his normal 'I hate the world' attitude to admire the messed up situation he was in. He was supposed to watch the girl, aid if needed. That's all. He had no idea it would include staying the weekend in a honeymoon suite with her.

"Maybe we could ask for another room?" Ari suggested hopefully.

"We mustn't draw attention to ourselves." Itachi took off his black jacket and placed it on a chair that was in the shape of a heart. They had been told to wear civilian clothes and try to blend in. Itachi dropped his sharingan, so not to scare anyone. Ari liked his normal eyes better.

"Well, _honey_I am going scouting. I will flare up my chakra if I get in trouble." Ari took a baseball cap and scooted out the door under the intense glare coming from Itachi.

* * *

"The girl is here somewhere. Split up and send me word if you find her. Do not apprehend, only observe. I want to know more about her before I go rushing in." Karje ordered his small band of ninja. He was going to catch this little girl, even if it meant killing every Akatsuki to get to her.

* * *

After four hours, Ari had located six Sound ninja. Four were outside of town, one was by the piano store, and one was conveniently staying at the hotel. She opened the hotel door and stepped inside to tell Itachi the news.

"Itachi?" she called. She heard the shower running and assumed he was in it. She took off her jacket and shoes and got clothes from her bag to change into after she herself had taken a shower.

"How many?" Itachi's voice made her jump and turn. He was standing there with only a towel wrapped low on his hips. His long black hair was dripping and his well muscled everything was glistening. Ari fought the impulse to drool.

"Uh… s- six" she stuttered and busied herself with her pile of clothes. "Well I'm going to take a shower because I am really dirty… well I mean sweaty… I MEAN I just need to clean, now, in the shower." She ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. _What was that all about?_

"What was that all about?" Itachi asked himself. He shook his head and began to get dressed. "We will need to eat in the café downstairs. Make your 'cleaning' quick."

About ten minutes later they were dressed and downstairs ordering dinner. Every waiter gushed over the 'cute couple' even though it was obvious that the pair wanted to be as far away from each other as possible.

Ari was embarrassed about the verbal vomit she spewed earlier, and Itachi couldn't stand the fact that everyone would think that he would marry such a simple, weak girl. Even though his rational mind reminded him that the people didn't know who he was, it still irked him. They spotted the Sound ninja about three minutes after they arrived. He was alone, and not very strong.

"You can take him out." Itachi said in a bored tone.

"Me? All I'm supposed to do is observe, not kill anyone." Ari still had very strong objections to mass murder.

"He spotted you; he will most likely read your chakra and see your ability to control it. He will engage in combat, and you will fight him."

"Wonderful."

* * *

A/N: I'm updating as quick as I can for the few readers I have!! I was going to make it longer but I am really tired. IM SORRY!!!! Please read and review!! 


	6. Snake Pit

Disclaimer: read the other disclaimers.

Chapter 6

Ari didn't want to kill anybody, and doubted if she even could if she had to. Thankfully dinner went by without a hitch and the Sound ninja didn't seem interested in the two Akatsuki. They headed up to

their room in silence, Itachi was silently fuming about being stuck with the weak little girl and Ari pissed that Itachi was such an jerk.

"I will be gone in the morning. Leader wanted me to report their numbers and any activity immediately. You will stay and watch them."

"No fighting?" she asked hopefully.

Itachi didn't answer. He took off his sandals and laid on the left side of the bed.

"Uh… what are we doing for sleeping arrangements?" Ari asked uncertainly.

"Sleep on the floor for all I care." Itachi responded coldly and let himself settle into a meditative trance. Ari glared at the unconscious man and took her pillow to the small chair in the corner of the room.

She was cold, and uncomfortable, but didn't want to show any weakness to Itachi.

Soon she fell into a light, fitfull sleep.

* * *

When Ari woke the next day, Itachi was already gone. She stretched her poor aching muscles and went to get ready for a long day of surveillance. 

She used her chakra to try and pick up if anyone was outside her window. Feeling fairly certain that there was no one there, she climbed out her window and up onto the roof. She used the dawn's light to hide in the shadows. Feeling that it was all clear, she jumped to the nearest tree. With grace that her mother would have been proud of she leapt from one tree to the next, unaware that someone was indeed watching her, following her, waiting for the most opportune moment. Finally he found it as she was crouched, ready to spring to the next limb. He uncloaked his chakra and she turned slightly at the feeling of another presence. By then it was too late, he sent the dart through the air and made a few hand signs. She used a burst of chakra to move herself out of the dart's path, but it followed and increased speed. Ari twisted in the air, fleeing it once again, but again it came after her and with enormous force, hit her in the chest. The poison raced through her body as she fell. She landed heavily onher right arm and left leg, shattering her wrist and tibia on impact. She lifted her head towards the man who brought her down, the same one from the night before. She didn't have time to feel pain or cry out because darkness overcame her; the poison was infecting her body causing her chakra to be bound and sleep to overcome her.

* * *

Ari woke cold, and in pain. Her leg was throbbing, but her wrist, which was chained above her head, was blissfully numb. The walls were stone and the room was dark. It was as if she was deep underground, because the smell of earth was all around her. Directly in front of her was a heavy iron door, and to the left was a dark stain that looked an awful lot like dried, old, blood.

A few minutes after she had awoken, the large door was opened, temporarily blinding her with the light of the hallway. There in the doorway was a handsome man with blusish grey hair and glasses. He walked over to her and started to undo her chains. As soon as her wrists were free she started to fight back. She elbowed him in the nose and kneed him in the stomach before trying to make a run for it. She didn't get far with her bad leg and fell into the arms of another guard. He threw her to the ground and kicked her harshly in the ribs, knocking the wind out of her.

"Don't try it little Akatsuki." The first man grumbled. His nose looked completely healed to her amazement.

She was dragged by the back of her neck to a large sitting room. There were chairs and couches arranged around the room. Ari took in her surroundings and assumed it was a tea room. In the middle of the somewhat empty room, was a thin tall man with long black hair and snake-like eyes.

"Welcome to Sound little Akatsuki. I am Lord Orochimaru, and you are?" The snake man looked at her with piercing eyes, making her shiver slightly.

"None of your damn business." She replied evenly.

"My, my, feisty little thing aren't you?" he nodded to the man holding her. The man kicked her broken leg, hard. She bit back the scream and the tears in her eyes and looked as calmly as she could to the leader of Sound.

"Your name?" he asked again, with a hint of impatiens.

Ari lifted her head and remained defiant. "Like I said, it's none of your damn business you traitor. The Akatsuki have not forgotten your betrayal." She smirked at the thought of the sniveling snake in front of the Leader. Once again she was greeted with a swift kick to the leg and a yank on her broken wrist. She grimaced with pain for a moment before she could control her emotions.

"Fine, lock her in the chains for four days, no food or water." Orochimaru smiled. "Lets see what will break you."

Ari was dragged out of the room by her hair and locked back in the chains. Her body was in pain, and she was probably going to go into shock if she didn't get medical attention soon, but she would not say anything to Sound. Even though she was not yet a full member, she was still Akatsuki, and she was not weak.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter will be longer i promise 


	7. Incompentence

Disclaimer: Read the other disclaimers

Chapter 7

Itachi returned to the hotel a little after noon. Right away he could tell something wasn't right. The Sounds ninja had left and he couldn't pick up any trace of Ari's chakra. He lept out the window and into the nearest tree, following the trail of bent branches Ari had so clumsily left behind. When he got to the eight tree he noticed chips were taken out of the wood, like she had turned abruptly and sprang forward. He looked to the ground and noticed that the leaves were kicked up, like a body had fallen there. Gracefully he landed on the ground and looked around. There was a small amount of blood, and it held the smell of nioxenane, a new powerful chakra binding poison. Next to the blood was a small symbol scratched unsteadily in the ground. Ari had left him a message, that only he would find; music note.

"Sound." He growled.

Itachi sat down and began to meditate. Soon his flickering form appeared before the Leader.

"Leader, the Sound ninja have captured Ari." Itachi bowed his head before the Leader.

"Why would they want her? She is no one of great importance, and Orochimaru knows we would never negotiate for her life. Are you sure she was taken captive?"

"Yes my lord." Itachi's controlled voice let in a hint of irritation at being doubted.

"Well then, your mission is to find her, bring her back, and kill Orochimaru." Itachi looked up, looking at the Leader for explaination.

"She is weak, like you said, 'of no great importance', why rescue her?"

"Because she is mine!" the Leader's voice boomed. "She may not be of great importance to the rest of the world, but there is something inside of her that has yet to be tapped into, and I wish to see what that is. If you don't think you can complete the mission however, I could send someone more competent!" The Leader was now fuming at Itachi for questioning him.

"I can complete the mission, _my lord_." He bowed his head, tense with agitation.

"Do not forget your place Uchiha." The Leader growled, dismissing Itachi.

Itachi woke from his meditation and stood up slowly, his body tense with anger. He balled his fist and smashed it into the tree he was sitting under. The whole tree was lifted from its roots and thrown about forty feet before landing heavily on the ground. He composed himself and headed toward the heavily guarded hidden village of Sound.

* * *

Four days had passed. Ari hadn't had food, water, or pain killers. She was slowly starting to loose her mind. Every once and a while a guard would come in and eat in front of her, making her stomach ache in protest. The guards would just laugh and kick her in the ribs and leave. At night it got much colder, that was how Ari was able to tell time. She couldn't reach her chakra, after the poison had completely worn off the first man she had seen, who said his name was Kabuto, had put a strange leather collar around her neck. After the collar was put in place, she couldn't reach her chakra anymore.

At the end of the fourth day, when it started to get cold, the door opened to reveal three women. They hurried in and started taking the chains off of her. At first she thought they were going to get her out. Her heart soared, before they stated their true intentions.

"Lord Orochimaru demands that you be cleaned and dressed properly before you are presented to him. Please don't try to struggle, the guards will be near at all times and that collar is not only a chakra draining device." The oldest of the women said as she lifted Ari's numb limp arm around her shoulder.

"What else does it do?" Ari asked quietly.

"Sends shocks to all of the muscles in your body. It's painful." She nodded to one of the other girls to grab Ari's other arm.

They led her out of the cell and down a very long corridor. Ari's leg hurt so bad the pain was nearly blinding her, but she kept moving forward. The women brought Ari to a large bath house and removed her soiled clothes before helping her into the hot water. The water felt so amazing to Ari's sore body that she didn't even notice the women washing her hair and body. Soon feeling started to come back to her arms and she was able to lift them on her own. Although now that she could feel her arms, she could feel the pain in her wrist.

The women finished bathing her and helped her out of the water to be dried and dressed. Ari felt awkward at being bathed and dressed but doubted that she could do it herself with her starved, pained body. The women began combing her long hair and pinning it up in an elaborate updo, and putting a touch of makeup on her face. The Kimono she was helped into was black, with a gold floral outline. The obi was also black with gold trimmed. She doubted she had ever worn anything so expensive in her life. She glanced in the mirror and her reflection startled her. Her face was slightly gaunt, but the makeup hid the stress of her captivity well. Her hairdo was stunning and the dress complemented her strange eyes.

The women looked at each other, quiet pleased with their work, and then helped Ari up to see Orochimaru. They were greeted at the door by Kabuto and a dark haired young man who looked about her age and eerily familiar. She stared at the young man strangely. Kabuto cleared his throat.

"I'll take her from here. Return to your chores." He dismissed the women. Ari was still staring at his companion.

"What?" the young man asked, breaking Ari from her strange spell. She blinked and looked at Kabuto who was stifling a laugh. Ari blushed.

"Sorry, its just that… wow you really look like someone I know." She looked at him again, tilting her head. The men both had enough of the staring contest and each grabbed a side of her to lead to their master.

They arrived at the same room she had been taken to when she first arrived. Orochimaru was standing this time, by a large wooden object. Ari gasped when she realized what it was. She knew now that this was the reason she was taken. Because Sound ninja use SOUND for their jutsus. There in the middle of the room was the same grand piano that she played on in the village. She looked up at Orochimaru, and he smiled. He knew she finally figured it out. Well at least _part _of it.

* * *

For four days Itachi searched the perimeter of Sound, studying the weakest parts. He needed to get in, kill Orochimaru, and take back the girl. He found seventy- two shinobi guarding the castle that housed the Sound leader, Orochimaru. The trick was to get in completely undetected. He lept into the next tree and masked his chakra expertly. These simple ninja were no match for his skill. As he got closer, the Sound ninja seemed visibly more tense, as if they knew that there was something off, but they couldn't find out what. Itachi dropped on two silently, killing them effortlessly without any of the others noticing. Again and again he did this until he was at a small open window of the great house. It was then when he realized that it was too easy, there was no call of alarm, and something was off. The window was chakra sealed behind him and the room filled with a green gas so quickly, Itachi couldn't escape it. He had fallen for the oldest trick in the book. The last thing that went through his head was, 'Leader was right, I am too incompetent for this mission.'

A/N: two updates in one day! Wahoo! I might go for a third if im inspired enough. Please read and review……


	8. Windows

Disclaimer: read the other disclaimers.

Chapter 8

I need to run far away

Can't go back to that place

Like she told me

I'm just a big disgrace- Evanescense "On my Own"

* * *

"Come and sit, play a little." Orochimaru smiled evilly. Ari shook her head, she didn't want to be anywhere near that thing. She tried to back away, to get away from that room. The men held her back though.

"Let me make a deal with you, if you play for me I will let you eat." Orochimaru said simply, as if he were speaking to a child. Ari weighed the options, play a little song and eat, or starve. In the end her hunger won.

"I can't play with my wrist like this." She said barely above a whisper. Orochimaru nodded to Kabuto, and Kabuto took her broken wrist in his hands almost gently. Soon the pain started to fade and her bones felt like they were back in the right place. She stared at her healing arm in awe. She had never seen a healing before and was amazed by it. Kabuto laughed slightly at her child-like expression and helped her to the piano. She paused slightly, testing her newly healed wrist. She moved her hands over the keys gingerly. Finally she pressed down and kissed the keys with the tips of her fingers. Soon the beautiful music started to flow from her soul. Beethoven today, her mood suggested it. She closed her eyes and moved with the music. The others around her were affected by her silent rapture. All three men stared in awe at the beautiful young woman making sounds they had never heard before. Orochimaru was pleased with his new toy, Kabuto was entranced by the music, and Sauske, the other man, felt a pang of regret. He knew what the girl was needed for, what she would be forced into. He turned his head away from her, as if ashamed to be allowed to see such beauty. His thoughts traveled to another time, another girl, Sakura. What would she think about what he had become?

Another man entered the room, the very man who captured Ari in the first place. He had good news for Orochimaru. The man bowed and whispered something in Orochimaru's ear. The snake leader smiled and nodded. His plan was coming together perfectly.

"Sauske, our guest of honor has arrived, be sure to greet him." Orochimaru whispered to his young prodigy. Sauske nodded and left the room gratefully.

Ari continued to play for what seemed like hours, but in reality it was only minutes. When she was done with the very last note, she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

* * *

Itachi awoke in a dark cell; he was sitting on the ground with his back propped up against the stone wall. He reached for his chakra, but found none. There was a collar around his neck, draining his chakra, keeping him from destroying the entire building with his annoyance.

"I had a feeling you had something to do with this." Itachi growled to a dark figure in the corner. Sauske stepped closer to his older brother, with pure hatred in his eyes.

"Ive waited so long to have you at my feet, but this wasn't how I wanted it." Sasuke said slowly. "All I want to know is why? Why did you kill our family?"

Itachi smirked, "If I told you, you could never defeat me." Sasuke kicked his brother in the side.

"You bastard! Tell me!" he screamed in anger, kicking Itachi over and over. Itachi remained still, not saying a word. Finally Sasuke ended his assault and turned to leave.

"Your girl, she is in pain, and she will be in a lot more if she stays here." Sasuke said quietly before leaving.

* * *

Ari was given food and water and a new room to stay in. This time she wasn't chained and she had a bed and bathroom. Her leg was still in a lot of pain, making it almost unbearable to think about escape, but she had to. She noticed that the chakra around the small window in her room was strong, except for one small fault. There was a weak point by the window latch. She pushed on the weak point for an hour, making it a little bigger. There was now a hole in the barrier that she could almost fit a hand through. She pushed again, this time with all her remaining might and was able to push her hand through the hole. She coaxed the glass up with her fingers until the window was half open. By this point the remaining chakra surrounding the window started to dissolve. She lifted her bag leg out of the window and then her good one. The drop was about thirty feet, and there were no trees to jump to. Even in there were, she couldn't reach her chakra to make the leap. She glanced down and noticed a small window below hers, if she could lower herself down to the next window, she might be able to find a new way out of the castle.

Slowly she lowered herself down, gasping once at the pain of her dangling leg. Soon her toes felt the window ledge and she let go of her window. Her foot twisted uncertainly on the window ledge, but she got control over her balance before she fell. She noticed there was no barrier on the window she was now occupying. She lifted the glass slowly, and climbed into the room. She looked around quickly, hiding behind a dark green sofa. She was in a bedroom, a really nice bedroom. There was a huge four poster bed with silk sheets and comforter. The floor was a cherry red hardwood, and there was a large area for sitting and receiving guests. Slowly she crept out of the room and down the hall toward, what she could tell, was the kitchen from the smell of cooking. Her broken limb dragged uselessly behind her as she stealth fully made her way through the house. She heard whispering coming from a dark room on her right. The voices sounded like Orochimaru and Kabuto, and as much as she wanted to flee as quickly as she could, she knew that gathering information was more important. She pressed her ear to the door quietly.

"My lord, are you sure that the serum will work on someone like Itachi?" Kabuto's asked.

"Do you doubt me Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked silkily.

"No my lord! I just wanted to make sure it could restrain him, for your safety."

"You mean your safety you coward! It will do its job, and you will do yours. The little musician has escaped and is standing outside the door."

Ari gasped and started hobbling down the hall as fast as she could. She turned a corner only to run into Kabuto's arms. He threw her to the ground and smirked.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we have an escapee." Kabuto taunted.

"You wouldn't have gotten far little one. I could sense when you were leaving your room, and when you broke into mine." Orochimaru's voice sounded behind her. He looked angry, and that made her a bit nervous.

"Kabuto, break her other leg." Orochimaru commanded, and before she could protest, to say it would never happen again, Kabuto grabbed her good leg and twisted it with sickening speed and might. She screamed in pain as her good leg was broken in several places. She exploded with anger. She hit Kabuto weakly with her fists, while shouting curse after insult at Orochimaru. She spit in Orochimaru's face, and in turn got a hard smack in her face. She felt herself being lifted off the floor, her pained legs making her eyes tear. She was taken back into the room she had escaped and thrown harshly on the bed.

"Try to escape now." Kabuto laughed. He left the room and slammed the door shut. Ari could feel her body responding to the overload in pain. Her heartbeat started to slow, and she thought 'this is it, I am going to die' before she passed out.

As soon as Kabuto left the room, he felt the girl's body start to go into shock. He turned around and went back in the room. The girl's breathing had become labored and her heart beat uneven. If she were to die, Orochimaru would be very displeased. He put his hand on her face and sent his chakra into her body. He prevented her body from going into shock, but didn't heal either of her legs. He did however; make the mistake of looking at her face. Beads of sweat were running down her face, her features contorted in pain. For one of the first times in his life, Kabuto felt pity. He sent another wave of chakra into her body, easing her pain enough for her to sleep. When he was finished he left the room quietly, letting Ari really sleep for the first time in almost a week.

* * *

A/N: Thank you all for your kind reviews, I really do appreciate it! Ari's story will come out later, of why she is so damaged. There is more here than what it really seems, and I have a very interesting little something coming up soon. 


	9. Revelations

Disclaimer: see the other disclaimers.

Chapter 9

Catch me as I fall  
Say you're here and it's all over now  
Speaking to the atmosphere  
No one's here and I fall into myself  
This truth drives me  
Into madness  
I know I can stop the pain  
If I will it all away- Whisper, Evanescence

* * *

Ari woke a few hours later, she was still alive. Her legs were hurting so bad, she couldn't help but cry. She cried for being in pain, and for being so weak. She was so tired of being weak, and thought of Itachi. He was so strong, she would become as strong as he was. With this silent promise she dried her tears and dragged her body off of the bed and on to the floor. The fall jarred her legs and shot pain through her body, but she did not cry out. She sat on her butt and dragged her legs behind her as she made her way into the bathroom.

* * *

Sasuke paced around his room, thoughts racing through his head. He finally made a decision, and walked out of his room and down the hall. He turned the corner and entered a small room on his right. The girl was in the bathroom, so he walked over to the bed and sat down. A few minutes later the door opened and the girl dragged her self out of the bathroom. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the sight.

"You tried to escape?" he asked. Ari jumped at the new voice, but relaxed when she realized it wasn't Kabuto or Orochimaru.

"What makes you think that?" she replied sarcastically. Sasuke moved off the bed and crouched in front of her.

"Do you need help?" he asked, referring to her getting back onto the bed, which was fairly high off the ground. Ari shook her head and tried to pull herself onto the bed. Without her chakra, and with two broken legs, she realized that this task was nearly impossible, and Sasuke noticed this as well. Without waiting for permission, he lifted her up bridal style and placed her gently on the bed.

Ari sat on the bed, looking at the strange man carefully.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha." He said finally, as if to convince her of something she had been wondering.

"Uchiha? Are you related to Itachi?" she asked, clearly piecing together why he looked so damn familiar.

"He is my older brother." He clarified. "I need to know some things." He began.

"What things?" she asked suspiciously.

"Did he ever tell you about his family?" Sasuke asked after a long pause. Ari shook her head.

"Are you kidding? That guy wouldn't tell me what day of the week it is let alone get personal about family matters." She replied bitterly. "But Deidara once told me something interesting." She thought back to the conversation she had with him over two weeks ago. Itachi had been getting increasingly crueler in their training, and Ari confessed it to Deidara.

"He said that Itachi suffered a great betrayal by his family, and that is why he is the way he is." Sasuke stared at the girl, determining whether or not she was lying.

"What was the betrayal?" Sasuke managed to bite out. Ari shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, Deidara wouldn't tell me." She looked at Sasuke's face, a whole range of emotions were running across his features. He stood up and thanked her before leaving. Ari was more confused then ever. Who was this younger brother, and why was he in Sound? Itachi said he was from Leaf, so wouldn't his brother be from Leaf as well? All the questions were left unanswered as she drifted off to sleep again.

* * *

Itachi was in deep meditation when Sasuke busted in.

"Its time you told me the truth." Itachi opened his eyes and glared at his brother.

"I don't have to tell you anything." Itachi answered.

"What was the betrayal our family was a part of?" Sasuke demanded. Itachi sighed slightly, silently cursing himself for letting that information slip to Deidara.

* * *

When Sasuke left, his hands were covered in blood. Kabuto noticed it first and went in to check on Itachi. Itachi was badly beaten up and had lost a lot of blood. Kabuto healed him quickly and went to tell Orochimaru.

"Sasuke, you know we need him alive." Orochimaru scolded. Sasuke just glared at him and turned his back. The blatant show of disrespect angered Orochimaru. The curse mark on Sasuke's neck began to act up, this time working against his body, sending pain throughout it.

"Don't forget Sasuke, you still belong to me." Orochimaru hissed and the markings on Sasuke's body began to fade. Sasuke stood up and made brief eye contact with Orochimaru.

"Kabuto, tell the potion maker to have the serum ready for tonight. Sasuke, you will be in charge of the girl." Orochimaru ordered, daring Sasuke to object.

"Hn." Sasuke nodded. "I want to be the one to give him the serum, I want him to loose control at my hands." Sasuke looked at Orochimaru, and Orochimaru laughed slightly.

"Of course Sasuke." He dismissed both of his servants and went to his room to rest up for the night's entertainment.

* * *

Ari was awoken by a knock at her door. Not waiting for a response, Sasuke opened the door and walked in.

"Lets go." He said quickly, moving to the bed to pick her up.

"Go where?" she asked nervously. Sasuke didn't answer. He carried her out of the room and down the hall to the piano room. There chained to a wooden chair, looking tired and hungry, but still regal was Itachi. Ari gasped and tried to get out of Sasuke's grip. Itachi looked up and shook his head, silently telling her to be still. Sasuke took her to a small couch and set her down before going to Itachi. The brothers stared at each other for what felt like eternity. Finally Sasuke hit Itachi closed fist in the face. Ari yelled for Sasuke to stop and tried to push herself off the couch and to Itachi. Itachi growled at her.

"Ari, stay." He commanded, and she obeyed.

"Ari is it? Strange name for such a strange girl." Orochimaru entered the room, with Kabuto following behind him. Kabuto had a wooden box in his hands, and he smiled evilly at Ari when they met eye contact.

"Well, well. The great Itachi Uchiha. Welcome to my home." Orochimaru took a seat in the chair in front of Itachi. Itachi didn't respond to Orochimaru's greeting.

"I bet you are dying to know why I captured your little friend over there." Orochimaru smiled darkly at Itachi.

"No, I honestly don't care." He said, his voice even and cold.

"Oh now, sure you are, expecially when you are so much a part of it!" he laughed, sending chills down Ari's spine.

"She is a music prodigy, you are the most powerful shinobi of your time. What could I want out of the both of you?" he paused waiting for a reaction from the stotic Uchicha.

"I want a son." He finished.

Ari looked mortified, but Itachi remained unmoved.

"There, in that box, is a serum that will make you under my control. I mind control drug if you will. If you do not mate with her, then you will be given the serum. Either way, I will have a child from you two." Orochimaru finished.

"Why?" Ari choked out.

"Well my dear, my up rise in power came at an unexpected price; I can no longer have children, there for I will settle for the next best thing. I want an heir to teach my jutsus to and to take over as ruler of Sound when I die." He said, without even looking at her. All his attention was on Itachi.

"Go to hell." Itachi said. Orochimaru laughed.

"If you don't do this willingly, you could hurt her badly. Are you sure you don't want to keep her from that kind of pain?" Orochimaru looked over at the girl, and back at Itachi.

"I will not do this willingly, if she must suffer pain, she will do it. She is Akatsuki, she is not as weak as she seems." Itachi broke eye contact with the snake and looked over at Ari. She smiled sadly and nodded.

He was right, she would do whatever necessary to be strong, to fight back. She was Akatsuki.

* * *

A/N: oooh cliffy! I have already started working on the next chapter and it will hopefully be up either later today or tomorrow. Please read and review! 


	10. End Game

Disclaimer: See the other disclaimers.

If you feel so filthy

So dirty so fucked up

If you feel so walked on

So painful so pissed off

You're not the only one

Refusing to go down

You're not the only one

So get up- Evanescence, Riot.

* * *

Chapter 10

Ari was not going to be taken so easily, she would fight, even if it meant fighting Itachi, who will have no control over his actions, with two broken legs and no chakra. She looked at Itachi and silently conveyed her thoughts through her expression. He understood, and even was impressed with her strength. He smirked slightly, _Its about time she found some strength, _he thought.

Itachi looked at Orochimaru, deviance evident in his expression. Orochimaru grinned; he had wanted Itachi to resist. He had wanted to control Itachi since the day he had first heard about his power. Orochimaru nodded to Kabuto. Kabuto opened the wooden box to reveal a syringe filled with a black liquid. He handed the syringe to Sasuke, who smiled darkly.

"You will always be weak." Itachi said to Sasuke. Sasuke ignored him and stabbed the needle into Itachi's upper arm, pushing the contents into his body.

Itachi started convulsing, and Sasuke removed the collar around his neck with a key. Soon Itachi was still in his chair.

"Itachi?" Orochimaru asked, waiting for a reply.

"Yes Orochimaru- sama." Itachi deadpanned. He raised his head, and there was an expressionless look in his eyes. Orochimaru laughed joyfully.

"Itachi, you will take that girl as your mate. Do you understand?" Orochimaru smiled and turned his attention to the girl on the couch.

"Yes Orochimaru- sama." Itachi said evenly. Kabuto released Itachi from his chains, and Itachi stood. He turned to the girl on the couch, and walked over slowly. Itachi seemed to look right through her.

"Itachi! Please wake up! You don't want to do this, remember? You don't even like me!" Ari pleaded to deaf ears. Itachi grabbed Ari by the throat, cutting off her protests. She tried to hit him, to push him off, to fight back, but it was no use he moved on top of her, attacking her captive throat with bites. He was like an animal, and she was his prey. She stopped fighting, realizing that the more she fought back, the more he would hurt her. When she relaxed, she felt him ease up on the biting. Slowly she tried to hide her mind in her body, away from what was going to happen to her. She felt him reaching under her, lifting her off of the couch and closer to his lower half. She closed her eyes as she felt him tugging at the obi, trying to undo it with animal like intensity. She braved a look at him, to judge his expression. He looked at her, finally looked at her and winked.

It all happened so fast, Itachi threw a kunai at Orochimaru, who easily dodged it. But as Itachi threw the weapon, Sasuke stabbed Kabuto with the real serum. Orochimaru looked around, stunned by the turn of events.

"Kabuto, kill Orochimaru." Sasuke commanded. Kabuto looked up with dead eyes.

"Yes Sasuke- sama." He launched at Orochimaru who jumped back. Itachi and Sasuke joined the battle as several shinobi came to their leader's aid. Ari struggled to remove the collar from her neck. She looked around the room and found the key lying forgotten on the floor by the chair Itachi was chained to. She threw herself off of the couch and onto the floor, dodging bodies, and jutsus flying around. She managed to get to the key to be hit with a wind jutsu which threw her across the room and into a wall. She coughed up blood, and looked to her hand. The key was still in it. She fumbled with the collar and finally got it off. She began to feel the chakra return to her body, and now she was MAD.

Itachi noticed a rising chakra pattern; he looked over at Ari who was glowing with chakra. Apparently she wasn't the only one who noticed as the Sound ninja, and Sasuke looked over at her.

All the anger she felt for Orochimaru and Kabuto for the pain they put her through, for Itachi for never taking her seriously, for her town for treating her so badly, for her family leaving her, she exploded. She screamed and her chakra blew up the side of the house, pushing everyone outside. Now everyone was looking at her. Her long brown hair had turned jet black, and her violet eyes had turned jade green. Her body seemed to float through the air as she moved to Orochimaru.

"And now, you die." She said coldly. With lightning speed she punched him in the chest, making him fly through the air, taking out three trees in the process. Kabuto kept trying to fight Orochimaru, but the girl wanted him all for herself. She back handed Kabuto, knocking him out cold. She turned her attention to the snake again. He rose uncertainly, looking for his shinobi but finding none that would come to his aid.

"Ari." Itachi said, coming close behind her.

"My name is not Ari, I am Anna." She said coldly, not even looking at Itachi.

"Anna, you are not a killer. Let me handle this." Itachi moved even closer. Somehow his voice was soothing to Anna. She felt some of the anger start to dissipate. She turned to Itachi, and felt her hatred start to fail. Desparately she turned back to Orochimaru looking to hold on to the anger, until he was dead by her hand. But Itachi had said she wasn't a killer.

"I could be a killer Itachi." She said, with a slight hitch in her voice. He was standing directly behind her now; he placed a hand on her shoulder, causing Anna to flinch.

"Not today." He responded. She felt her anger slip away. Her hair turned back to its light brown and her eyes to their violet. She smiled slightly before falling to the ground unconscious. She didn't see the kunai shoved in Orochimaru's chest by his most trusted henchman. She didn't see Itachi and Sasuke chase off the rest of the Sound ninja together. She didn't see a rare smile Itachi gave her as he lifted her off the ground and jumped in the trees headed for the base. She didn't see Sasuke turn to head towards Leaf, his home. She did however, FEEL. She felt safe in Itachi's arms, and freer than she had felt in a very long time. When Ari had awoken, she was in her own bed, and both of her legs were healed. She smiled a real smile for the first time in a long time and left her room in search of her teachers. She still had a lot to learn.

* * *

A/N: Sequel coming up VERY soon. More on Sasuke and Itachi, what had changed, Ari's story, who the hell is Anna, what the H.E double hockey sticks is going on with the transformation, and maybe a pairing in the very far future. I wanted to end this story on this note; I didn't want it to be a never ending epic adventure, but rather a kind of mini series. Please read and review!!

P.S. Thank you for all of you who review. It really means a lot!


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